The nightmare ended here,
Catherine had merely shown William how she had gone to the circus for an interview, and how her migraine had evolved into a nightmare.
The transformation into a nightmare, in particular, bore some resemblance to William's transformation into a mad brain.
There was no denying that Catherine had genuine talent, though aside from her own strength, luck had also played a part.
If the previous Sub-Clown had not been killed, he would never have allowed Catherine to slaughter and absorb the dancers en masse while sleepwalking.
As luck would have it, Clown Art had also been locked up and had not immediately instilled the concept of malice in her.
If ten-year-old Catherine, whose mind was not yet mature, had followed Art from the beginning, she would very likely have been assimilated by now. There was no way she could be having a friendly conversation with William here. Every move she made would have radiated malice toward the world.
The fact that she could be as she was now, possessing the goodwill of "white" and the malice of "black" while maintaining an apparently balanced state, was entirely thanks to Magician Gian's care and companionship back then, which had helped solidify her proper values.
Even after Art's return and the impressions he occasionally left on her, the goodwill in her heart had always remained. It had never been suppressed or weakened.
However,
After experiencing Catherine's childhood and entry into the profession, William was not deeply moved—or rather, in his eyes, this situation was relatively fortunate.
William's previous life, Yi Chen's childhood in another world, had not been nearly as fortunate. He had never encountered a "good person" like Magician Gian, much less a place like the circus that could serve as a complete shelter where he could live